Proposed Training

Students will assist with field sampling which will take place in the fall (most likely October and November). Depending on the students’ schedules, we will arrange trips throughout the week and during weekends. The field trips will consist of verifying that locations identified as being vernal pools in a GIS model are actually vernal pools. This may require students to hike through fields and forest fragments for up to half an hour to access study sites. They will also be trained to take standardized observations of site conditions. All traiining will be provided. Students must enjoy working outdoors, and be prepared to work through rainy conditions. Time permitting, students may also be trained to enter data into GIS

Location of Training

Forests within 1-2 hours drive from McMaster

Learning Outcomes/Science Career Competences

• Competence in conducting field work, assessing site conditions and learning diagnostic features of vernal pools.
• Science career competencies include critical thinking, communication, problem solving, discovery, collaboration and teamwork and testing the student’s adaptability and flexibility in navigating field conditions.

How Successful Learning Outcomes Be Determined

• The student will be observed to see how they collect pertinent field data to confirm the presence of vernal pools in forest fragments.
• Through in-class discussions, the professor will assess how much students have learned about the importance of vernal pools as breeding habitat for the endangered Jefferson Salamander.

Required Components for Passing Grade

• Attend 3-4 field trips totalling 18 hours, complete the written reflection and submit it to Avenue to obtain a passing grade.

Additional Notes

• Each volunteer will need to participate in 3-4 trips throughout the term (16-18 hours)
• Transportation to and from McMaster will be provided.
• Preference will be given to students pursuing a degree in ecology or conservation biology.

Enrolment in or completion of the Life Science or Environmental Science gateway program. No prior knowledge of vernal pools or endangered species is required.

Students who cannot attend assigned field trips will volunteer in the Chow-Fraser Lab for an equivalent amount of time missed at any point during the fall term

To apply for this course, please fill out the following SCIENCE 1SB1 application online.

Proposed Training

Students may assist a senior undergraduate student to collect water samples at 9 long-term stations in the Coldwater Creek watershed or process samples following the field trips. The duration of field trips and lab processing will take approximately 3 hours each. Students may also assist in processing preserved samples. Water-quality tests include nutrient analyses and fecal bacteria. Students will also be trained to handle specialized equipment in the field and in the laboratory setting.

Location of Training

Coldwater Creek Watershed

Learning Outcomes/Science Career Competences

• Competence in using laboratory equipment, collecting water samples in the field, analyzing data and drawing conclusions.
• Science career competencies include critical thinking, communication, problem solving, discovery, collaboration and teamwork and testing the student’s adaptability and flexibility in navigating field conditions

How Successful Learning Outcomes Be Determined

• Students will be observed by the instructor and senior thesis student to ensure the water tests have been carrried out correctly and that students are using the equipment and instruments properly in the field and/or in the lab.
• Through interactions in the lab and field, students will be assessed on their knowledge of land-use impacts on water quality in streams.

Required Components for Passing Grade

• Attend field trips or laboratory sessions they signed up for and follow instructions when carrying out field and laboratory procedures.
• Students must also submit a written reflection to Avenue to obtain the passing grade.

Additional Notes

• Transportation to and from McMaster will be provided.
• Preference will be given to students pursuing a degree in ecology, environmental science or conservation biology.

Enrolment in or completion of the Life Science or Environmental Science gateway program. No prior knowledge of water-quality testing is required.

During the fall and winter, there will be many opportunities for students to make up for any field trips or lab sessions that they missed for medical or compassionate reasons.

To apply for this course, please fill out the following SCIENCE 1SB1 application online.

Proposed Training

Training starts after the first two weeks after start of term, and will continue until the end of the term.  Volunteers will be trained to take care of plants in the greenhouse, which will include  trimming, planting, transplanting, propagating, fertilizing, watering, and weeding. As required, students may also need to treat plants that have been infected with either fungus or insects by removing bugs by hand. Other activities include cleaning and washing pots. Twice a year, there is a sale of plants propagated by volunteers, with the proceeds used to increase the collection and to pay for biocontrol of plant pests. Volunteers will be trained to give tours of the greenhouse to visitors.

Location of Training

Biology Greenhouse

Required Health and Safety Training on Mosaic which includes WHMIS 2015, Violence and Harassment Prevent AND FIre Safety, Ergonomics OR SAFE training.  Students should enroll in these courses and complete the tests on Avenue.

To apply for this course, please fill out the following SCIENCE 1SB1 application online.

1 unit course open to students within the Faculty of Science and with the permission of the Director, Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), or designate. (Capacity 50) Pass/Fail

What to expect?

• Requirement of 12 hours in the fall, winter or intersession.
• Students must provide a short written reflection to the Faculty of Science Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) following the shadowing.

Pairing between graduate student mentor and undergraduate mentees will be coordinated by the Office of Undergraduate Research.

Prerequisite(s): Registration in a Faculty of Science program. Permission of the Director, Office of Undergraduate Research, or designate. Pairing between graduate student mentor and undergraduate mentees will be coordinated by the Office of UndergraduateResearch

To apply for this course, please fill out the following SCIENCE 1SC1 application online.

Proposed Training

On Saturday, September 13th, 2025, students will meet at 9:30 in LSB 213A. There will be a brief lecture lasting ~1.5 hours (9:30am-11:00am), during which students will learn about common pollutants and their sources in aquatic ecosystems. They will also learn about the type of sampling equipment used to collect samples in various water bodies. We will then proceed to our field sites by car. At the field sites (~11:45 pm to 2:00 pm), students will collect water samples from local creeks using proper protocols and return samples to McMaster University where we will use the Tecta B16 to analyze samples for presence of fecal bacteria. Time permitting, we will also carry out one set of nutrient analysis. Results will be posted on Avenue, and students will learn how to use a manual to create a GIS map to illustrate differences among streams. We will hold in-person tutorials to help students use QGIS during week of Sep 29-Oct 3, 2025. During October 27-30, 2025, a final 3-h class will be held to analyze results and draw some conclusions about the health of streams in the watershed (it might be held 5:30-8:30 to accommodate students with labs).

Learning Outcomes and Science Career Competencies 

• Competence in using laboratory equipment, collecting water samples in the field, analyzing data and drawing conclusions
• Science career competencies include critical thinking, communication, problem solving, discovery, collaboration and teamwork and testing the student’s adaptability and flexibility in navigating field conditions

How Successful Learning Outcomes are Determined

• Students will be observed by the instructor and thesis/graduate students to ensure the water tests have been carried out correctly and that students are using the equipment and instruments properly in the field and in the lab
• We will review the QGIS maps created by students to ensure they have imported data into QGIS properly
• During the in-person class, the instructor will assess if students have made appropriate interpretations and explanation of results. Their submitted reflection will be read to glean how much students have learned during the course

Required Components for Passing Grade

Attend the field trip on Day 1. Participate actively in all laboratory and field activities, and attend the last class during which we will graph and analyze the data. Students must also submit a written reflection to Avenue to obtain the passing grade.

Biology 1M03, EARTHSCI 1G03 or ENVIRSC 1C03. 

Students must complete required safety training prior to attending the workshop.

Students who miss any session will volunteer in the Chow-Fraser lab for an equivalent amount of time missed.

To apply for this course, please fill out the following SCIENCE 2SA1 application online.

Proposed Training

• Students will take any 6 of the workshops offered by the Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship on a variety of topics selected by the Office of Undergraduate Research   
• Students who register for the Fall workshop must complete all courses offered during the Fall; those who register for the winter workshop must complete all courses offered during the winter. These courses cannot be mixed.

Students should consult the Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship Events website to select workshops of interest that fit their academic time table.

Learning Outcomes and Science Career Competencies 

• Students will build confidence in using new technology and digital data, improve their ability to conduct research, analyze data and present research findings, and gain a broad understanding of the role of digital technologies in society and scholarship.

• Science career competencies include critical thinking, communication, problem solving, and discovery.

How Successful Learning Outcomes are Determined

• The students will attend and actively participate in the 6 workshops throughout the term and write a 1-page reflection on what was learned during the workshop.

• The OUR will review these reflections and if necessary contact the instructors of the course for verification of knowledge and skills taught in the workshop.

Required Components for Passing Grade

Attendance of students in these courses will be confirmed by the Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship and the student will submit a reflection within 7 days following the end of the course.

Enrolment in a Faculty of Science program.

There are 12 workshops in each term.  Students must attend 6 of these to receive a passing grade.  Students may also access the online learning catalog to access a recorded session of the workshop from a previous year. This would not be possible for hands-on sessions such as building chatbots; however, slides of the workshops will be availble for all workshops. Students should contact the OUR if they encounter difficulties finding suitable workshops.

Workshops offered in the Fall 2025 Term

• Build Your Own Chatbot: Local Applications in Generative AI on your Laptop
• Create simple maps using tools you already know
• Best Practices for Managing Data in your Research
• Linear regression using R
• Introduction to R Programming
• Establishing and Maintaining Researcher Profiles
• Network Visualizations and Analysis with Gephi
• Introduction to LaTeX
• Introduction to Data Analysis with SPSS
• Data Visualizations with Power BI
• Introduction to Python Programming
• Map making for absolute beginners using QGIS
• Creating Compelling Research Impact Visualizations
• Data Management Plan Bootcamp
• Introduction to SQL with DuckDB
• Logistic regression using R
• Data Management Plan Bootcamp
• Introduction to Creating and Sharing Maps Using ArcGIS Online
• Microdata Analysis with Python or R

Workshops offered in the Winter 2025 Term

• Best Practices for Managing Data in your Research
• Map making for absolute beginners using QGIS
• Tracking the Impact of Non-Traditional Research Outputs Streamline Your Research Materials Photos
• Data Visualizations with Javascript
• Create a Digital Exhibition with Omeka S
• Rethinking “Good” Data: Power, Vulnerability, and Queer Data Care Finding, Accessing, and Adding GIS Data to Your Project
• Visualizing Bibliometric Networks with VOSviewer
• Communities Empowered by Data 101: Tools and Best Practices Create an Interactive Dashboard using ArcGIS
• Social Media Data! Practical and Ethical Collection, Visualization, and Management
• Conducting meta-analysis for systematic reviews using R
• Data visualization using R (ggplot2)
• Statistical Test Selection for Researchers: A Practical Guide Introduction to R Programming
• Introduction to Data Analysis with SPSS
• Introduction to Python Programming Microdata Analysis with Python or R

To apply for this course, please fill out the following SCIENCE 2SS1 application online.